In the world, bullying is a common occurrence. Bullying is a common occurrence in elementary schools and high schools, and it is still present in tertiary institutions, albeit in smaller quantities. Bullying in educational settings is a phenomenal, that is extensively explored and even contested across all domains.
The elevated quantity of instances of bullying this has happened at a concerning point. In theory, school should be a place where students seek out friends and information, but in practice, this is not always the case. Since their fears may be discovered in schools, a lot of students these days believe that education is their worst adversary[1].
In Indonesia, bullying among students is becoming a more troubling problem. Bullying in schools has increased dramatically in recent years, according to data gathered from a variety of sources, including scholarly studies and accounts in the media.
This phenomenon highlights the necessity of giving this issue careful thought and taking proactive measures to solve it. Bullying is defined as continuously committing acts of aggression, intimidation, or demeaning treatment against a person who is weaker or more susceptible than they are, either physically or emotionally.
Bullying can take place in many different settings, such as online forums, the workplace, and educational institutions. The victim’s psychological and emotional health may suffer significantly as the result of bullying. Because the victim is too terrified or ashamed to disclose the incident, many bullying situations go unnoticed or unreported. Bullying has the potential to cause severe cases of despair, anxiety, and even suicide.
Dealing with bullying in schools presents numbers of challenges, including the inability to identify incidences of bullying that are disguised and the lack of understanding and commitment from all necessary parties.
Subsequent studies carried out by multiple researchers indicate that unfavourable school cultures, inadequate teacher monitoring, and students’ incapacity to disclose bullying incidents are the primary aggravating variables.
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The Ministry of Communication and Information, in collaboration with UNICEF, conducted research in 2011–2012 that revealed a high number of cases of cyberbullying in Indonesia (Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informasi, 2012).
The study comprised 400 kids and teens from 11 Indonesian provinces, ranging in age from 10 to 19. According to research findings, 13% of respondents claimed to have been the victim of cyberbullying, which includes insults, threats, and dehumanization via text messages and social media. Additionally, 14% of respondents reported sending angry or derogatory texts, and 9% admitted to sending them via social media[2].
Bullying that results in death is committed by many kids or students. Bullying between kids or students essentially happens when seniors feel hate towards juniors or when there are other factors that lead kids or students to engage in bullying.
Comprehensive efforts from different associated parties are required to combat the rising incidence of bullying among students in Indonesia. First, at all educational levels, there has to be more emphasis placed on teaching students the value of tolerance, empathy, and respect for differences.
Clear regulations and efficient procedures must also be in place in schools for handling bullying incidents. In addition, in order to help bullying victims heal from the trauma they have endured, they require psychological care and counselling. Bullying offenders must also face harsh penalties in order to convey the message that such behaviours is undesirable and will not be tolerated.
To solve this issue, specific actions are required, such as:
- Strengthening Character Education: Bullying in schools can be decreased by emphasizing qualities like empathy, tolerance, and respect for diversity in character education.
- Teacher and School Staff Training: Teachers and school staff must get training in order to identify bullying symptoms, respond to bullying incidents in a responsible manner, and assist both victims and offenders.
- Involvement of Parents and the Community: Parents and the community can play a significant role in preventing and responding to bullying. They must take a proactive role in promoting school rules and teaching kids the value of showing respect and assistance to their peers.
- Consistent Law Enforcement: To have a deterrent impact and demonstrate that bullying will not be allowed, it is critical that the authorities apply the law against bullies in a consistent manner.
- Creating a Safe and supporting School Environment: Regardless of the disparities in background, religion, or ethnicity, schools are required to establish a safe and supporting environment for all of their kids.
Read More: Safe House: Atasi Kasus Bullying di Sekolah Tanpa Ditutupi
Due to bullying, many kids no longer want to go to school or have stopped altogether because they feel uncomfortable in their surroundings. School should be an enjoyable place to make friends. Schools must to be aware of the numerous instances of bullying so that they can provide support to the victims of bullying.
Many kids have been traumatized since they were young because they were the targets of unfair bullying at school. Don’t allow your kids to refuse to attend school because they are worried about being bullied. Schools need to advise students not to bully others since bullying may be traumatic for young children.
In order to prevent bullying, teachers should always inquire about their students’ children’s well-being. Otherwise, they should not know anything about them. Allow pupils to talk about their circumstances, whether or not they are being bullied. Bullying, or the more colloquial term for it, is an issue that is always trending in society.
Bullying is, in actuality, a long-standing issue that has been becoming more prevalent in society. Bullying is included as criminal acts of abuse, beatings, or bullying under the Criminal Code[3]. Let’s keep Indonesian youngsters safe from bullying at their schools.
Author: Sabrina Rahadatul
Student of Arabic Language Education, University of Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka
References
[1] I Wayan Kandia, ‘Perundungan Dalam Perspektif Hukum Indonesia’, IJOLARES : Indonesian Journal of Law Research, 2.1 (2024), 20–24 .
[2] Ranny Rastati, ‘Bentuk Perundungan Siber Di Media Sosial Dan Pencegahannya Bagi Korban Dan Pelaku’, Jurnal Sosioteknologi, 15.2 (2016), 169–86.
[3] I Wayan Kandia, ‘Perundungan Dalam Perspektif Hukum Indonesia’, IJOLARES : Indonesian Journal of Law Research, 2.1 (2024), 20–24.
Editor: I. Khairunnisa
Bahasa: Rahmat Al Kafi
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